CHEESY GARLIC BREAD

CHEESY GARLIC BREAD
This is a perfect side dish for any pasta and a delicious appetizer.
Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 7-10 minutes
Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS
French Loaf (Baguette) 1

Garlic, minced 4-5 cloves

Butter 200 grams

Cheese, grated 2 tablespoons

Dried mixed herbs 1 teaspoon

Sesame seeds (til) 1/2 teaspoon

Black peppercorns, coarsely ground 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Aluminium foil to wrap and bake

METHOD
Preheat oven to 175°C. Cut the loaf/baguette into 2 -3 cm slices, not slicing the loaf completely. Add minced garlic to the butter. Add seasoning to taste. Add the garlic butter in the gaps, spread remaining butter over the loaf.. Sprinkle with grated cheese and some sesame seeds on the loaf Wrap in a foil and seal the ends. Then place in the centre of the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven carefully and serve unwrapped with accompaniments.

Malabar Parathas

Malabar Parathas

Ingredients:
For making the dough:
Veg oil or Dalda - 1 tbsp
Luke warm water - as required
Maida - 2 cups
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Take all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Knead the dough well just as you do with chapathi or roti dough. Cover dough with damp muslin cloth. Put aside it for an hour. For better results place it in an air tight container. This prevents the drying at the top of the dough.
2. Make 10 equal portions of dividing the dough. Each portion should be a little less than the size of a tennis ball.
3. Take one portion of the dough. Put some oil on it.
4. Next apply oil on a flat surface. Roll out the portion as much as you can so as to make it as thin as possible, equally in its length and width. Do not worry about the shape. It may even break in between. Just make it as thin as you can. A rolling pin can be used here.
5. Put a little oil over rolled out dough.
6. Make pleats on the rolled dough with the help of both hands. Start from one end as you do with sari pleats.
7. Hold at one end of the pleated dough. Then spin it just like a spiral. Put aside.
8. Repeat the same process for all the dough portions. Cover pleated dough portions with wet muslin cloth or keep it in air tight container. Keep aside.
9. Heat a pan until medium hot.
10. Roll out each dough portion just as you do to make a roti. But make sure that it is not as thin as a roti. Parathas should have medium thickness. Do not apply any flour on it. Put some oil or ghee if you want.
11. Place one rolled dough portion on the heated pan. Add a little butter or ghee. Cook for about 1 or 2 minutes. Toss often, till it becomes firm and speckled brown. Cover the paraha with aluminium foil. Put it in an air tight container.
12. Once you have made 3 or 4 parathas, put them on a flat surface. Then hold them between your hands. Clap the hands together with 3 or 4 parathas in between them. Make sure not to clap hard as that may crack the parathas. This is to separate the layers of the parathas. It does not alter the taste in any way.
13. Serve with any kurma or masala.

Naan

Naan

Ingredents:
3 cups self-raising flour (maida)
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup curds fresh
salt to taste
1/2 tsp baking soda
warm milk for kneading.

Method:
Sieve together dry ingredients into a large rimmed plate. Add butter curds, oil and crumble with fingers. When does is like course crumbs, add milk a little at a time, till a soft pliable dough is formed. Cover with wet muslin cloth. Cover with another plate and keep aside for 5 - 6 hours.
Knead dough lightly. Break of piece, the size of a medium potato and roll into a thick triangle, using dry dough if required.
Place on a pre-warmed griddle (tawa). Apply water on the top part with hands Invert naan and stick to griddle. Invert griddle and roast over the gas flame direct (or nothing like toasting over bar-b-que coals).
Serve hot with a blob of butter on it.

KOMBDI VADE WITH CHICKEN CURRY

KOMBDI VADE WITH CHICKEN CURRY
Deep fried indian bread served with chicken curry
Preparation Time : 25-30 minutes
Cooking Time : 35-40 minutes
Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS
Chicken skinless, cut into 16 pieces 800 grams

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1/4 bunch

Ginger, chopped 1 inch piece

Garlic, chopped 4-5 cloves

Green chillies, chopped 2-3

Dry coconut (khopra), grated 1/2

Whole dry red chilli 4-5

Oil 4 tablespoons

Onion , chopped 5 measures

Coconut, grated 1 1/2 cup

Malvani masala 2 1/2 teaspoons

Salt

FOR VADE

Vade flour 2 cups

Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon

Oil to deep fry

METHOD
To make chicken curry, reserve one tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish. Grind remaining coriander leaves to a paste along with ginger, garlic and green chillies and marinate the chicken in this paste. Dry roast grated dry coconut with whole red chillies in a thick-bottomed kadai, remove, cool and grind into a fine paste with half a cup of water Heat one-tablespoon oil in a pan, add three fourth quantity of chopped onion, stir-fry till golden. Add fresh coconut; continue to cook on medium heat, stirring continuously till coconut also changes its colour to light brown. Cool and grind to a fine paste with half a cup of water. Heat remaining oil in a handi, add remaining chopped onion and stir-fry till golden brown. Add the green paste marinated chicken pieces and two cups of water and bring it to a boil. Stir in dry coconut and red chilli paste and Malvani garam masala. Continue to cook for three to four minutes on medium heat. Add the fresh coconut and onion paste and cook further on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for three to four minutes. Add salt and mix thoroughly. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with vade. To make vade, take the vade flour in a bowl. Add salt, turmeric powder and red chilli power and mix well. Make a well in the centre and pour two tablespoons of oil into it. Slowly mix in the flour. Add enough warm water and knead into a firm dough. Make marble sized balls. Take a piece of banana leaf and lightly grease it. Place the dough ball over it and lightly press and spread with the fingertips to a puri. If you do not have a banana leaf, grease your palms generously and spread the dough on your palms to form a puri. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry the vade on medium heat till golden. Drain and serve hot with chicken curry.